Coffin-lowering device.



No. 717,727. AT NT- 1). JAN. 6, 19 03,

e. W} WELLMAN.

comm O ERING DEVICE.

' APPLIOATIQK FILED APR. 15, 1901.

. H0 MODEL.

WITNESSES: I I IN OR. QM Z I I i FFI CALVIN W. WELLMAN, OF TOLEDO, OHIO.

OOFFlN-LOWERING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 717,727, dated January 6, 1903.

Application filed April 15, 1901. Serial no. 55,873. a. more.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CALVIN W. WELLMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at T0- ledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coffin-Lowering Devices; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to an apparatus for lowering burial-casketslinto graves; and its object is to provide a cheap, simple, and efficient machine which shall be strong and do rabio and in which weight shall be reduced to a minimum.

My invention is also designed to provide for constructing a machine of this class in sections, so that it may be packed and carried in the smallest possible space.

My invention further consists in the details of construction hereinafter pointed out.

I attain the objects above referred to by means of the devices and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and shown, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of my device in operative position,showing a coffin supported thereon and in the act of beinglowered. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the frame of my device; Fig. 3, an end view'of the same; Fig. 4, an enlarged end view of the same with the end plate removed Fig. 5, a central vertical sectional elevation of the drum and its connections with the side rails or shafts, hereinafter referred to; Fig. 6, a central vertical longitudinal sectional elevation of one of the sectional shafts or rails, hereinafter referred to, together with its bearing and the drum or spool by which it is controlled; Fig. 7, a side elevation of the end of said shaft or rail and its end sleeve, detached and partly in section; and Fig. 8, a transverse section of one of the shafts or rails, showing the manner of securing to it its controlling strap or belt.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the drawings.

coffin.

The-frame of my machine consists of the head end piece 1 and an opposite end piece 2, said end pieces being connected and retained in proper relation to each other by tubular siderails 8 3, which also serve the purpose of shafts upon which. are wound the flexible members for the support and lowering of the The side rails or shafts 3 are formed in sections or short lengths, the meeting ends of which are indented, as at 4, the projecting portions on each piece fitting into and engaging corresponding recesses in the end of the opposing piece. These sections, which con- "stitute the side rail or shaft, are at their meeting ends screwthreaded, as at 5, the threads when the parts are in place being continuous from one piece to the other. A screw-threadedsleeve 6 surrounds the joints formed by the meeting ends of the shaft-sections and may be screwed to and fro to overlap both sections or to engage but one of the sections. The sleeve when screwed onto both the shaft-sections holds them in rigid engagement with each other and gives lateral strength to theparts.

One end of each of the side rails or shafts is journaled in and near to the end of the end piece 2 in openings formed for that purpose. The opposite ends of the side rails or shafts are eachslipped into and securely connected with a sleeve 3 (see Figs. 6 and 7,) which sleeve is journaled in and near the ends of the headpiece 1. The sleeves 3 are enlarged, as at 3, the enlarged portions lying within the cavity of the headpiece 1 and forming a spool or drum on which the strap 9 is wound. The enlarged portion 3 also prevents the longitudinal motion of the sleeve. The crosspiece 1 is hollow and is provided with a cap or cover 1*, which forms its outer side.

7 is a short tubular shaft (see Fig. 5) journaled and removably the inner vertical wall of the headpiece 1. The opposite end of the shaft 7 projects outwardly through the cap or cover 1 and has fixed upon its outer end a friction-wheel 8. The point where the shaft 7 passes through the cap or cover 1 is furnished with a bearing for the shaft. Secured to and wound upon the shaft 7 in the cavity of the crosspiece 1 are two stout straps 9 9. These two straps are wound one upon the other in the secured at one end in same plane upon the shaft 7. One of the straps passes and is fixed, as at 9 to one of the side rails 3, the other strap passing in the opposite direction and being fixed to and wound upon the other of the shafts 3 in the same manner. The bearings and the straps are housed and concealed Within the end piece 1.

10 is a friction strap or brake secured to the cover 1, as at 10, and embracing the wheel 8. The tension of this friction strap or clutch is controlled by a screw 11, mounted in a bracket 12, fixed to the cap or cover. The stem of this screw, which extends upwardly, at top carries a hand-wheel 13 within convenient reach of the operator and is readily detachable.

Secured to the side rails 3 3 by means of the buttons 14 are bands or strips 15 of stout fabric or other suitable flexible material, such as leather or the like, which bands or strips may be placed side by side and edge to edge (see Fig. l) to form curtains for the side of the grave, or they may consist of narrow straps. An equal length of each of these strips or straps is wound or wrapped upon each of the shafts or rails 3 3, and when the shafts are turned so that the strips or straps are taut and horizontal they form a stable support for the coffiu. Beneath the coffin the straps are provided with suitabletripping devices 17 which form no part of this invention and which need not be here further described.

The further details of the construction of my device will be set forth in the description of its operation, which is as follows: The end pieces are placed in position at the head and foot of the grave. The sections of the side rails or shafts 3 3 are assembled as above described, and their ends are slipped into their sockets or bearings in the end pieces and are secured against longitudinal movement by means of the caps 16, screwed into or upon the ends of the rails or shafts. The number of sections employed in assembling the side rails or shafts will depend upon the length of coffin to be lowered, my device being intended to dispense with the necessity for machines of different sizes. The straps or curtains 15 are engaged with the buttons 14 and are connected by means of the straps 17, which are to receive the coffin. The friction-strap 10 is loosened by means of the screw 11 13, and by means of ahandle S on the wheel8 the straps 9 are rapidly wound upon the short shaft 7, and the strips or curtains 15 and strap 17 are wound upon the shafts 3 and are drawn horizontally taut. Now the brake or clutch is set up tight and the apparatus is ready for the reception of the coflEin. Bya slight turn of the screw the frictional engagement of the band 10 with the wheel 8 may be controlled to a nicety. When the coffin is in place and its weight pulling upon its supports, the friction-strap 10 is slightly loosened and the curtains or straps 15 17 are paid out from the shafts 3 3, the straps 9 9 being at the same time wound onto the shafts 3 as they are unwound from the short shaft 7. It will be seen that the descent of the supporting-straps or curtains on both sides of the grave must be exactly the same, for the reason that the amount of strap paid out from the shaft 7 in both directions is always exactly the same. Thus the movement of the three shafts 7 3 3 are always necessarily in unison.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

1. In a coffin-lowering device, a frame consisting solely of two end pieces and two side rails, which side rails are composed of sections or short lengths detachably secured together end to end, combined with journals or bearings for said side rails in said end pieces, and means for causing said side rails to retate axially in unison.

2. In a coffin-lowering device, a pair of side rails each of which is composed of sections or short lengths, projections and indentations in the meeting ends of said sections, the projections on one piece corresponding and fitting into the recesses of the opposing piece, and sleeves adapted to clamp the engaged meeting ends of said sections, combined with supports for said rails and means for causing said rails to rotate in unison.

3. A coffin-lowering device comprising in its construction a frame consisting solely of two end pieces and two side rails journaled in said end pieces, which side rails consist of short sections detachably secured together end to end, flexible bands Wound equally upon said side rails, a spool or drum, two straps upon said spool or drum connected respectively with and adapted to Wind upon said side rails, a friction-clutch adapted to control the movement of said spool or drum, and means for operating said friction-clutch.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CALVIN W. WELLMAN.

WVitnesses H. J. CHITTENDEN, L. E. BROWN. 

